James Frey

Author, narrator, and main character of this memoir, James Frey is an alcoholic and drug addict who undergoes treatment at a rehab Clinic in Minnesota. He relies heavily on his own strength in order to get through recovery, as opposed to using the AA-sanctioned twelve steps. James has a severe aversion to authority figures of all kinds, including his parents, God, administrators, and even his addiction. He refuses to believe that his addiction has power over him. Rather, he forces his addiction to bend to his will. He believes that, as long as he continues to choose not to drink or do drugs, he can stay sober. He is stubborn, empathetic, very intelligent, and highly self-loathing.

On the other hand, however, James must deal with his impulse for self-destruction that takes the form of the Fury. The Fury takes over whenever James feels threatened, afraid, or hurt...